Concrete gun



Oct. 21, 1952 RR. COLBURN 2,614,891

CONCRETE GUN Filed Sept. 9, 1950 "'5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

MWMW A Tree/vars.

Oct. 21, 1952 R COLBURN 2,614,891

CONCRETE GUN Filed Sept. 9, 1950 5 sheet-heet 2 I 47 6 lrllll 6 ZE Z- BY INVENTOR.

Oct. 21, 1952 R, R, OLB RN 2,614,891

CONCRETE GUN n Filed Sept. 9, 1950 5 Shaw-Sheet 3 O H I 32 HIM .36 I O m A 1 #9 Wm 46 I:

I9 I/ "W .Tl' v AJI'! ii ;l in 7 47 wi i glul m" 50' 1 17.3. INVENTOR.

LCM BY 0? Wi /W ATTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 21, 1952 I l 'lflie present invention' relate's generanwt; 1mp'tWemnts -'in"the-art of shooting or ejecting dnits' or nozzles, and relates more specifically to improvements 'inthvconstruetion and obe'rfition road building, and other industries, to transport "granular rnateri'al such as dry' concrete aggregate and cement in bulk "fromfone loealityfto" another in the form of'a-high velooitysbreamor jet-with the "aid of fiuitlnnderpressnre, -Various types of so-tallied concrete "guns-have heretofore been proposed-for thispurpose, and inmy pri'onPatent No. 2j565546,granted August 28, 1951, I have snoh'aswoncrete aggregate and cement is shot :froin a nzz1e=by means of high pressure ai-rdelii/ei'ed into"'the--'inner ends of several annular series of stag'gered-inateril laflen poc'kets form-ed in-seeming "rotor, while the onter "open ends firevious "unit "itself is rather "cumbersome and oonipli cate'd byi irtue'bf the relative disposition wine rntterial advaning pockets'and air admission passages, amine fact that it was =rather "diffiult toefiectivelyseal 'therotor against undesirable escape or air after prolonged periods of use with'ont' the "aid of "end valves and-other intrioate fst'ruture.

It'is therefore aprirnary'object of "my present invention to provide an improved concrete gun mowi g-the successful-principle of my sai'd prior batent, but whieh eliminates the major 'difileulties iiountred in the manufacture and'oneration of theu'nit. l l l Anbther i iinbortnt merit of this invention is toiprbvide 21,-simple, complicit; and durable 'piieumdtidally 'actuate'd granular material ejecting gun, adaptedto efieetivl y deliver-a 'constantliigh t'elocity je't of variousfikinds of granular or p'tilverulent partiele's in bulk 'through a conduitor nozzle. lAifurther" important: object of the invention is to i provide aniiimproved pneumati -gununit for shooting 1a itcontinuous stream or jet .ofrgranular material? such; asrfconcrete-xaggregate zandicement th i'oligh a, -d1ibt "0 1"" Oii'fi "alt l high velocity and with the aidpf nigh pressure air, without ekcessive leaktgeorfescapeof tlie'propellingflliid.

Still another im'p'qrtant o'bje'ct or my invention is to 5mm; anf improved "concrete aggregate transp'ortingenq"eicting{mechanism composed of few --s'i!nple-parts'jall of which maybe reajdily niannfactizred "and "assembled while also being eopwmem1y-acess1t1 for 'inspetion and replacement H A jLAn "aidditionil "importarit' objeet of 'the present invention is toproqide an automatic gun for shooting dry oor-icret iagggrgate and cement or the like with the laid 'of *air under pressure, fall cost and with minimum attention;

Anotlienmore specific object-16f the invention ism-provide wsimpnfiea conret aggregate and cement transfer unit "of the "type wherein the ni aterialisintrotlnee'd "by ravity mm the outer open j peripheral iaockets formed "in a reinvention be apparent "from "the following eemnea ption.

having been aken i f fi it wn eit and W JkiKW h- I na of e. a semester aterigl trqnsier jooketsoflthe ibtoi; mg ist-a part: seetional side view o f the :sune

r lt upp l bbere dde i li ery z ev pn t pml it and wit at e r v r c sectiontalgeneentr'aill throngl the material supplyhqpBGlQ-gnddong clinally mhrough the w nner r o t f the roto n y t ;3 is a part sectional top view-of the-gun assemblage looking downwardly iinto the empty rnaterial supply;hoppemthex-section :havingabeen taken norizontallyvt through the llfinal material delivery conduit and through the adjacent portion of the rotor.

The gist of my present invention is the provision of an improved gun for automatically delivering a continuous stream of granular of pulverulent bulk material at high velocity through a nozzle or conduit by means of air under pressure delivered into the inner ends of outwardly open material transfer pockets formed in a constantly revolving rotor provided with peripherally open air conducting passages communicable laterally with the inner pocket ends Whenever the material laden pockets are exposed to the nozzle conduit and while the invention has been illustrated and described as being especially advantageous for handling concrete aggregate material it is not my desire or intention to unnecessarily restrict the novel features to such usage. It is furthermore contemplated that specific descriptive terms used herein be given the broadest possible interpretation consistent with the disclosure. i

Referring to the drawings, the typical pneumatic concrete aggregate conveying unit shown therein, comprises in general, a compact portable main casing or frame 6 adapted to be mounted upon a transporting truck or other suitable support; a rotor I provided with a pair of laterally spaced and staggered annular series of material transfer pockets 8, 9 each having an unobstructed outer open end at the rotor periphery and an inner end connected laterally with the inner end of an air conducting passage II! the outer ends of all of which are also open at the rotor periphery midway between the two pocket series; a granular material supply hopper l I carried by the frame -6 and adapted to deliver material I2 by gravity into the outer open ends of the successive advancing pockets 8, 9 during revolution of the rotor; a discharge housing l3 also carried by the frame 6 and having therein a bifurcated conduit I4 adapted to communicate with the outer open ends of the advancing material laden pockets 8, 9 after they have been sealed from the hopper I; and a compressed air supply pipe l5 for introducing air under pressure laterally into the inner end of each material laden pocket 8, 9 through its passage Ill whenever the open pocket end has been brought into communication with the conduit I4.

The main casing frame 6 consists primarily of a lower or base section 11 and an upper or cap section It firmly but detachably secured'to the base section I! by means of stud bolts IS. The rotor I is journalled for rotation about a horizontal axis in bearings 20 clamped between the casing sections I1, l8, and is snugly embraced by a pair of semi-circular resilient liners 2|, 22 each of which is provided with a durable metal backing plate 23. These liners 2|, 22 are preferably formed of rubber and the backing plates 23 thereof are clamped between the casing sections so as to cause the liners to sealingly engage the rotor periphery, and both liners 2!, 22 and plates 23 are provided with upper openings 24, 25 for connecting the outlet end of the hopper H withthe successive advancing rotor pockets 8, 9 respectively; while the liner 22 and its backing plate 23 are additionally provided with a pair of material discharge side openings 26, 21 for connecting the open ends of the material filled pockets 8, 9 respectively with the bifurcated delivery conduit I4, and with an air inlet opening 28 for simultaneously connecting the successive air conducting passages II) with the air supply pipe I5. Theliner 22 and its backing-plate 23 are also provided with an elongated lower vent opening 29 adapted to connect each successive pocket 8, 9 and its air passage I4 with the ambient atmosphere through a tube 39 after the material has been ejected from the pocket.

The construction of the rotor is an important feature of my present invention, and this rotor is provided with a peripheral wearing sleeve 32 which coacts directly with the resilient liners 2!, 22, and is adapted to be constantly revolved at any desired speed by means of a worm wheel 33 housed within the main casing 6 and driven by a worm not shown but which is rotatable by a drive shaft 34 journalled in a bearing 35. The shaft 34 may be driven by an electric motor or the like, and the rotor I is rotatable in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1 and is sealed at the oppositeends of the liners 2i, 22 near the bearings 29 by end disks 39. The material transfer pockets 8, 9 of the rotor I are preferably radially disposed, and the successive pockets 8 and passages in of one annular series are staggered with respect to the successive pockets 9 and passages ill of the other annular series so that one or more pockets of the two staggered series will always communicate with the hopper II and with the discharge conduit [4 and compressed air supply pipe, thus insuring continuity of the stream or jet of material I2 delivered from the unit. The inlet ends of the air injecting passages I0 are all revolvable in a into sealing engagement with the rotor periphery adjacent to the inlet openings 24, 25. In order to prevent bridging of the material l2across the downwardly tapered surfaces of the hopper l I, the hopper interior may be provided with one or more agitators 4l carried by a shaft 42 spanning the hopper and journalled in bearings 43 at the opposite sides of the latter. This shaft 42 may be constantly driven from the end of the rotor I remote from the worm wheel 33 by a suitable drive confined within a casing 44, and each agitator may be provided with two or more vanes so as to effectively stir the granular material Whenever the unit is operating.

The final material discharge conduit housing 13 is likewise detachably secured to the main frame I, being fastened to an anvil shoe or plate 46 in any suitable manner while the latter is held, firmly against the resilient liner'22 adjacent to the openings 26, 21, 28 by other resilient clamping assemblages 38 carried by plates 41 removably attached to the frame I by cap screws 43. I The housing I3 is also provided with a duct 49with which the compressed air supply pipe communi-r cates and which is also communicable with the liner opening 28 through a port formedin the anvil shoe 46 as shownin Figs. 1 and 3; and the outer end of the housing I3 may be provided with screw threads 59 for effecting attachment of a hose thereto. Compressed air under high pressure may be delivered through the supply pipe I5 from a compressor or any other suitable source, and the anvil shoe 46 may also bersupported upon a cross bar 5i and an auxiliary sealing plate-52 may begprovidedbeneath the anvil men sci 'l late and-held against the liner 2 hy another bar tirai-iirclampassemblages 38;

ll o f the resilient clamping assemblages 98 may be el -similar -*construction,"and as shown in 'Fig. r of" these clamps -comprises *an-='outer "cylindr ical casing 54 having 'therein-a plunger 55 urged "toward the adjacent portion-entire resilien't' liner-*2 22 by astifi helical sprin 56; W hen "supported by the bars the c'asings 54* are firmlysecured tothese bars, and when supported by the *plates l! the casings are likewi'se rig-idly "attached thereto as -'by welding; "and all or the assemblages 98 are -'so disposed "that' the hopper i l effectively sealed frem the discharge con- '"duit M and this -conduit is ='likewlsesealed "from the atmosphere at the *rotor periphery, thereby 'posi-tively p reveriting undesirable --escap'eof-"coin- =-pressed air --and =rn'aterial while still permitting convenient "removal of *variou's parts of the *unit t er inspection or replacement or worn elements. When the various elements of the improved concrete gun unit have been properly-constructed "and assembled as above-described, the rotor I may be constantly -'rotated at any suitable "speed by 1 power applied through the driving sha'ft *34 arid-worm Wheel 3-3;,the"compressedalr supply 'pipe l eshould be connectedto a suitable source of i compressed airat approximately one hundred pounds pressure;andthehopper H should-be kept abundantly supplled withgranular material l2 -such as concrete aggregate, while' 't'he *nozzle housing i3shouldbe' attached to a hoseor other means "for utilizing-a jet or stream of-the "aggre- 'gate'flowing at high velocity. Astherotor-T-sub- *sequently revolves, the outer open ends of the successive pockets 9, 9 of the two "annular series "advancepast the upper openings 24,15 "respectively; and are filled with batches ofthe "material uz b gravity. The material l2"thus admitted will not flow into the adjacent "passages I 0 because of the lateral 1 connection of these passages With-the adjacent pockets and the upward disposition of the passage l0 when the 'POGkGtSByQ are bein'glilled. The-revolving agitators 4| will also prevent bridging of the granular material 12 across thehopper I i' and'openings 24, and will thus insure complete filling of scea'ch.v advancing pocket 8, 9.

The successive material laden pockets 8, 9 are subsequently advanced along the inner face of the resilient liner 22 and *af ter'being sealed from the hopper II as illustrated in Fig. *1,fthese pockets "are brought into 'communicationWith the dischargeconduit 13 through theo'pen'ings 26, 21. Simultaneously with this establishment of communication between each pocket 8, 9 and the conduit I4, the air inlet passage [0 of the pocket is brought into communication with the compressed air supply pipe l5 through the duct 49 and the opening 28, thereby causing high pressure air to flow into the inner end of the pocket and forcibly ejecting the batch of material I! therefrom into the conduit 14. Due to the stag gered disposition of the pockets 8, 9 of the two series, at least one pocket will be subjected to evacuation at all times, thereby insuring continuity of the jet or stream of material l2 flowing at high velocity through the conduit I 4.

After the successive pockets 8, 9 have been thus emptied they advance through a sealing zone along the shoe 46 and breast plate 52, whereupon both the empty pockets and their air supply passages are exposed to the ambient atmosphere through the lower opening 29 and vent tube 30. The empty and completely evacuated successive pockets 8; 9 are #tnerearter wadv-aneed along resilient liner-2l :and are ready for rfll-l-ing frem 5 without any attentionpn the parh of-an operator other than to start and stopt'hennit and to maintain an abundant supply it of granular materiall I- 2Within the hopper H. l

'While the clamp "assemblages normally maintain' an eire'cti-ve seal between the resilient liners "21-, 22 and the "periphery of -'the rotor lf'th'ese assemblagewmay be qui'ckly released to -expose theinternal structure-"ofthe-unit. The :rotor 'l 'may be readily removed upon removal of the upper "cap *section 18 of the main casin ggand such release of the section [8 also permits con- *venientremoval'and-renewal-oi the liners 2| ,2 2. The-resilient clamp assemblages 3'8 whicjh 'urge the "liners 2|, 22 into sealing-contact*with the rotor periphery will also cau'se these line'rs to hug the rotor as they wear down, and fur'ther- -more permit the liners to spread slightly incase the pockets 8, 9 receive abnormally hard sub stances, but the empty passages it will nonnally permitthebatches of material to expand sllghtly in case the pockets arefilled-toocompactly. I

" 'From the foregoing detailed descriptiomof the *construction and operatiomof -a typical portable concrete gun unit embodying my "present in ven 'tionjitwill'- be apparent that I have providedwa simple, compact and durable mechanism-rowerfectively producing a high velocity jet or=stream of granular material with the -'-aid of'high'pressure fiuidancl without excessive leakagemf the "fluid-or loss *ofthe material.

Theimproved gun comprises relatively few -sturdy parts which ma be readily manufactured, assembled or dismantle'd,and by locating the inlet ends of the oompressed air conducting passages T0 at the rotor periphery, the use of controlvalves attire ends df the-unit is avoided. Thes passage's '19 may obviously be located on either side of their re- *spectivepockets 8, '9, but-tho location thereof between the two "pocket series is preferable as it & facilitatesthe manufacture of the rotor land also enhances the sealing-effect. l

The "entire assemblage is so compact that it occupies relatively small space considering the "capacity, and by utilizingair pressure'at approximately one hundred pounds per square men, "a very lriighvelocity jet is made possible. "The present device is therefore not 'tobe "'c'onfusedwith a "mere 'fe'ed'er'for "granular material, but isin'iac't a gun for shooting such material througha n'oz zle. The improved gun has proven highly satisfactory and successful in actual operation and may be utilized for diverse purposes but especially for the purpose of propelling concrete aggregate and cement.

It should be understood that it is not desired to limit this invention to the exact details of construction and operation of the gun unit herein shown and described, for various modifications within the scope of the appended claims may occur to persons skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. ma gun for shooting a jet of granular materials, a rotor having two laterally spaced vannular series of segregated pockets the outer ends of which are open at the rotor periphery and the inner end of each of which communicates laterally with the inner end of a fluid admission passage the opposite ends of all of which are disposed in a common plane perpendicular to the rotor axis and in the space between said two ,seriesand are also open at the rotor periphery between said pocket series, a granular material pocket ends, and means disposed within said plane and between said series for admitting fluid under pressure to the inner ends of the advancin znaterial laden pockets through said passages whenever the outer ends of the successive pockets are exposed to said conduit to forcibly eject the batches of granular material from the pockets in the form of a continuous high velocity jet.

2. In a gun for shooting a continuous stream of granular material, a rotor revolvable about a horizontal axis and having several laterally spaced annular series of staggered pockets the outer ends of which are open at the rotor peripheryand the inner end of each of which com- .municates laterally with the inner end of an air admission passage the opposite end of which is also open at the rotor periphery between the two pocket series, a granular material supply hopper communicable during revolution of the rotor with the open ends of the uppermost advancing pockets, means forming a discharge conduit subsequently exposable to the open ends of the successive material laden pockets, and means for admitting air under pressure into said pockets through said passages whenever the open ends of the successive advancing pockets are sealed from said hopper and have been exposed to said conduit.

3. In a gun for shooting a continuous stream of granular materials, a rotor revolvable about a horizontal axis and having a pair of laterally spaced annular series of radial pockets the outer ends of which are open at the rotor periphery and the inner ends of which communicate laterally with the inner ends of air admission passages the opposite ends of which are also open at the rotor periphery between said two pocket series, va granular material supply hopper communicable during revolution of the rotor with the uppermost open pocket ends, means forming a discharge conduit exposable to the open ends of the successive material laden pockets of both series, and common means for admitting air under pressure into the outer ends of said passages whenever the open ends of the successive advancing pockets are sealed from said hopper and have been exposed to said conduit to forcibly eject the batches of granular material from the pockets.

,8 4. In a gun for shooting a jet granular mate rial, a, rotor having two laterally spaced annular series of staggered radial pockets the outer ends of which are open at the rotor periphery and the inner ends of which communicate laterally with the inner ends of compressed air admission passages disposed-between the two series and the opposite ends of which are also open at the rotor periphery, a supply hopper for delivering granular material by gravity into the successive open pocket ends during revolution of the rotor, means ,forming a discharge conduit subsequently exposable to the openends of the revolving pockets, means communicable with the rotor periphery in the space between said series for admitting compressed air into said pockets through said passages whenever the open ends of the pockets are sealed from said hopper and have been exposed to said conduit to forcibly eject the batches of granular material from the pockets through the conduit, and means for subsequently venting the empty pockets.

5. in a gun for shooting a jet of granular material, a rotor having two laterally spaced annular series of staggered radial pockets the outer ends of which are open at the rotor periphery and the sinner ends of which communicate laterally with the inner ends of radial compressed air admission passages lying in a common plane midway between the two series and the opposite ends of which are also open at the rotor periphery, a hopper for delivering granular material by gravity into the open ends of the successive pockets, a housing having a discharge conduit exposable to the open ends of the successive material laden revolvingpockets and also having a duct disposed midway between said series and communicable with said passages, and means for admitting compressed air in to said pockets through said duct and said passages whenever the open ends of the advancing material laden pockets are sealed from said hopper and have been exposed to said conduit.

RICHARD R. COLBURN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

